Life Chance
by Lollipop456
Summary: I know that the title is bad. This is my first Rumbelle story. After taking Rumpelstiltskin back, Belle becomes pregnant with his child. However, when Belle goes into premature labor, the expectant parents may not just lose each other, but their baby. WARNING: Detailed description of childbirth, and I have only seen the the first and a little of the second season.
1. Chapter 1

It had been almost ten months since Belle decided to give Rumpelstiltskin his final chance. So far, he had kept true to his promise to not use magic; especially after Belle became pregnant with his child. Although everyone in the town of Storybrooke were still trying to accustomed themselves to having The Dark One back in their town. Perhaps the only people who tolerated him to some degree were his grandson, Henry, and Belle's best friend, Ruby.

Despite the objections of her husband, Belle continued her job as a librarian throughout her pregnancy. One evening, after the library had closed, Belle was shelving newly returned books, when Rumpelstiltskin showed up at the front door. Belle slowly climbed off the ladder and unlocked the door; she couldn't help but smile as her husband kissed her cheek.

"What are you doing here?" Belle asked.

"I thought I'd take you to Granny's for supper. Any objections?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"No. Just let me grab my purse."

Belle began walking towards her desk, when Rumpelstiltskin noticed that she was walking rather oddly.

"What''s wrong with your feet?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

Belle looked down at her feet and gave her husband a quick smile. "Nothing."

"Then let me see them." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Sweetie, it's nothing-"

"Belle, please. Indulge me."

Belle sighed and slipped off her shoes; revealing her swollen ankles and feet. Rumpelstiltskin didn't look surprised, but rather disappointed.

"Belle, I told you not to overdo it."

"I know, but one of the librarians left earlier than expected, and there were so many kids, that I didn't want to close early."

Rumpelstiltskin sighed and used his cane to gesture towards a nearby chair which Belle sat in. Rumpelstiltskin sat across from her and carefully lifted one of her feet into his lap and began to massage it; gently pressing his thumbs into extremely tender spots. Belle gave a content sigh and tilted her head back with a smile.

"That feels good." Belle said quietly.

Rumpelstiltskin said nothing, but continued to massage the foot. Belle didn't like it when her husband was quiet, because that meant he was either upset or angry.

"I'm sorry, Rumple. I should have closed." Belle finally said.

"Darling, I'm not mad. I'm concerned. You still have a month left in the pregnancy, and any sort of strenuous activity could bring on labor or something worse. I'm not willing to lose you or this child." Rumpelstiltskin explained.

"I know. I'll take this month off, I promise."

Finally, Rumpelstiltskin smiled and began to massage the other foot. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Pretty good. We've got an active little one on our hands. He hasn't stopped kicking all day."

Rumpelstiltskin gently set Belle's other foot on the floor and then faced his wife. "Do you mind?"

Belle shook her head and Rumpelstiltskin sat next to her. He placed his hand on her swollen stomach, and soon felt his child's tiny feet press against his palm.

"Think we might have an athlete on our hands?" Rumpelstiltskin joked.

"Probably. He hasn't given me a moment's rest."

"Tell you what. Let's skip Granny's, and I'll prepare you something at home and then put you to bed."

"I think I like the sound of that."

Rumpelstiltskin leaned over and kissed Belle long and hard, but still being mindful of their active child between them.

The next day, Belle stayed true to her word and remained at the mansion. As she was napping upstairs in the master bedroom, she heard a knock downstairs. Yawning, she sat up and climbed out of bed. A sudden twinge in her stomach caught her off guard, and she leaned against the dresser. The pain quickly passed and Belle made her way downstairs to answer the door, a little surprised to see her step-grandson Henry and his friend, Grace.

"Hi, Gran." Henry said.

"Hey, Henry. Is there something you need? Your Grandpa is at the shop this morning."

"We actually wanted to see you. Grace thought I was lying when I told her that I heard the baby's heartbeat."

Belle smiled. "Oh, I see. Well, come on in. We'll take a listen. The stethoscope is around here somewhere."

Henry and Grace stepped inside of the mansion, while Belle went searching for the stethoscope. She finally found it in a drawer in the kitchen and joined Henry and Grace on the sofa. Then, she carefully placed the earpieces inside of Grace's ears and pressed the chest-piece up against her stomach.

"Now, listen carefully." Belle said.

There was a moment of silence before Grace giggled and gave Belle a huge smile.

"I can hear the heartbeat!" Grace said.

Belle laughed, until she felt another one of the twinges again. This time, it was much sharper than before and nearly made her cry out. No doubt, that she was beginning to have contractions, and they were beginning to hurt. Not wanting to panic the children, Belle calmly rose to her feet and took away the stethoscope.

"It's pretty late, kids. You should be home." Belle said.

"Papa is helping someone fix a broken fence." Grace explained.

"Besides, it's not even close to sunset." Henry added.

"I know, but...I'm really tired, and I think it's best if you both go home."

Grace and Henry knew better than to argue with grown-ups and walked to the front door. As Henry was about to leave, he turned to Belle.

"Gran, are you all right?" Henry asked.

"I-I'm fine, Henry" Belle touched Henry's cheek. "Now, go on."

Henry smiled and he and Grace left the mansion. Belle quickly closed the door and made her way over to the telephone. Thankfully, she had Rumpelstiltskin's shop on her speed dial and with one quick press, the phone began ringing. It didn't take more than a few seconds for the phone to be picked up.

"Belle? Is that you?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Rumple, I need you at home." Belle groaned.

"What's wrong, love? What's happening?"

"The contractions are starting. They're pretty bad. I-I think it's time to go to the hospital."

"Are you sure?"

Belle rolled her eyes. "Honey, I think a woman knows when she's in labor."

"I'll be there in a moment. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried. Just hurry, please?"

Less than a second later, there was a loud click and then the dial tone. The next contraction brought Belle to her knees and she made her way to the sofa where she laid down and did her best to breathe through it.

"We only had a month left. Only a month." Belle said quietly.

By the time that Rumpelstiltskin had arrived at the mansion, Belle already had another contraction and had been left in sweat and in tears. She was curled into the fetal position and hugging a pillow; Rumpelstiltskin knelt in front of her.

"Belle, I'm here. It's all right now." Rumpelstiltskin whispered, running his hand through Belle's hair.

Belle looked up at her husband with tears in her eyes. "It hurts so bad. Rumple, I'm scared."

Rumpelstiltskin swallowed hard and offered the best smile he could. "That's my job, sweetheart. You think you can move?"

Belle seemed to consider for a second, before drying her tears and nodding. Rumpelstiltskin helped her up and outside to their car. The drive to the hospital might have been short but the contractions were coming closer together and the last thing Rumpelstiltskin liked was seeing Belle in any sort of pain. Perhaps the sheriff would be forgiving if he broke a few speed limits under the circumstances.

During the entire trip, Belle breathed and moaned and cursed. Rumpelstiltskin saw she was digging her fingernails into the arm rest and quickly took her hand. Belle gave him a relieved look just before another contraction came and she gave his hand a tight squeeze.

They arrived at the hospital and Rumpelstiltskin helped Belle into a wheelchair and pushed her into the lobby. One of the nurses quickly came around the desk and put her hand on Belle's stomach.

"How far apart are they, dear?" The nurse asked Belle.

"3 minutes, and getting closer." Belle moaned.

The nurse nodded and took hold of the wheelchair and pushed it down multiple hallways before coming to one of the rooms. She and Rumpelstiltskin helped Belle out of the wheelchair and into the bed.

"All right, Mrs. Gold. I need you to change into your hospital gown. Come on, I'll help-"

The nurse moved to help Belle undress, but Belle pulled the covers close to her and gave Rumpelstiltskin a frightened look.

"Nurse, with all due respect, my wife is not very use to hospitals. It's best if I help her change." Rumpelstiltskin insisted.

The nurse arched her eyebrow. "You?"

"I've seen her naked before. Trust me."

The nurse sighed. "I'll be back with some equipment. I shouldn't be more than two minutes."

The nurse left the room, while Rumpelstiltskin helped Belle undress and into her gown. The nurse returned shortly after and hooked Belle up to a fetal monitor. The sound of their baby's heartbeat seemed to put both parents at ease.

"Steady and strong. I'll find Doctor Whale so he can come and examine you." The nurse explained.

"Doctor Whale isn't her doctor." Rumpelstiltskin said simply.

"I know he isn't, Mr. Gold, but he is the only one on call right now."

Rumpelstiltskin was about to argue with the nurse when Belle began to moan. She turned onto her side and reached for her husband's hand.

"Just be sure to tell him who the patient is." Rumpelstiltskin said to the nurse.

The nurse nodded and left. Rumpelstiltskin sat on the bed and finally took Belle's hand. Just by her grip, Rumpelstiltskin could tell that the contraction that Belle was having was a strong one.

"We still haven't picked a name." Belle said once the contraction had passed.

"It's funny you should mention that. Today, I was thinking of what name would suit our child, and then only two new names came to mind."

Belle turned onto her back slowly. "What names?" She asked.

"Bae for a boy, and Colette for a girl."

Tears filled Belle's eyes and she threw her arms around Rumpelstiltskin. "I love those names."

Rumpelstiltskin smiled. "I was hoping you would."

Dr. Whale knocked on the door and stepped into the room. He washed his hands and slipped on a pair of gloves.

"Hi there, Mrs. Gold. A bit early, isn't it?" Dr. Whale asked.

Belle released Rumpelstiltskin. "A month early to be exact."

"Well, let's see where we are then."

Belle's legs were placed in stirrups as Dr. Whale adjusted a lamp and stuck his hand up her vagina to check her cervix. The pressure was intense, but Belle did her best to ignore it; not wanting to set her husband off on Dr. Whale.

"You are 3 centimeters dilated, Mrs. Gold. I'm afraid that your water still hasn't broke though. I think it might need a little help."

Dr. Whale nodded to the nurse who left the room and returned with a tray lined with medical tools. Dr. Whale took a long stick and rested a hand on Belle's ankle.

"Mrs. Gold, listen to me. This is called an amnihook; now, I'm going to use the tip of this to break your water. I have to warn you though, it's not going to be pleasant. " Dr. Whale explained.

Belle nodded in understanding, and squeezed Rumpelstiltskin's hand as she felt the hook enter her. There was a slight pop and then a gush of water. Rumpelstiltskin couldn't help but notice that the water looked tinted with blood.

"Is that normal, Dr. Whale?" Rumpelstiltskin asked in a whisper.

"It could be a number of things. Her mucus plug, the baby might have a might bowel movement. Completely normal." Dr. Whale explained.

"Is something wrong?" Belle asked.

Rumpelstiltskin turned to Belle and smoothed her hair back. "No, sweetheart. Everything looks wonderful."

Dr. Whale said nothing and left the room. Rumpelstiltskin stood and kissed Belle on the forehead.

"I'll be right back, Belle. I' m not going far, I promise."

Rumpelstiltskin left the room and found Dr. Whale in the hallway, leaning against the wall.

"What are you afraid to tell me and Belle, Doctor?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, approaching Dr. Whale.

"N-Nothing. Listen, I have to make my rounds now."

"Doctor, please. I promise not to do anything to you; all I want to know is why there was blood when Belle's water was broken."

Dr. Whale sighed and faced Rumpelstiltskin. "The possibilities I gave you could be the answer, but...We have to consider that something else might be wrong since Belle is only eight months."

Rumpelstiltskin allowed Dr. Whale's words to sink in before deciding to speak again. "If it is the worst case scenario...Is Belle in danger?"

"Worst case scenario? They both are."

They both heard Belle screaming for her husband. Rumpelstiltskin had a lot of questions for Dr. Whale, but now the two people that he loved the most needed him. He hurried back to the room and took Belle's hand, kissing it.

"I'm sorry, dear. I won't leave again." Rumpelstiltskin whispered.

"What were you doing?" Belle asked.

"I was speaking to Dr. Whale."

"I-Is something wrong? Did something happen to the baby? What's going on?" Belle asked frantically.

Rumpelstiltskin hushed Belle and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "Everything is fine. There was a little blood in your water, but Dr. Whale assured me that it's likely nothing serious."

"Likely? So there might be something wrong?"

Rumpelstiltskin didn't have to answer Belle's question, his face had given away the answer. Belle began to cry.

"I don't want to lose this baby." Belle sobbed.

"Hey, we're not going to lose the baby. Relax. Just focus on bringing our child into this world, and everything will be fine, I promise." Rumpelstiltskin said quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

The labor progressed slowly, and as the contractions grew closer together and more severe; Belle and Rumpelstiltskin were both in pain, Belle's pain being physical and Rumpelstiltskin's being emotional. He hated seeing her like this, and him being unable to take away her pain. The knowledge that the lives of both his wife and unborn child were both in danger, did nothing to help.

"I'm not sure how much more I can take." Belle moaned.

Rumpelstiltskin squeezed her hand. "You're doing wonderfully."

Belle began yelling and squeezed her husband's hand till his knuckles turned white. "It doesn't feel like I am. Why I am only 7 centimeters? What am I doing wrong?"

Rumpelstiltskin gave a weak smile and picked up a nearby rag, wiping the sweat off of Belle's forehead.

"You are doing nothing wrong, sweetheart. Did I ever tell you it took three days for Milah to give birth to Bae?"

As the contraction passed, Belle panted and faced her husband. "You know that doesn't really help me."

"Right. Sorry." Rumpelstiltskin apologized quickly.

"Maybe if I start walking."

"You sure?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

Belle sighed. "Yeah. I can manage it."

Rumpelstiltskin helped Belle out of the bed and into a robe. They slowly, but surely, made their way down the hallways of the hospital. Once a contraction would come, they'd stop so Belle could ride it out. It was when they were halfway down the hall that they came across Belle's father, Moe.

"Father? What are you doing here?" Belle asked.

"I came to see how you were doing." Moe said simply.

"I'm doing fine, Da-" Belle cut herself off with a loud groan, she clenched her teeth and put both of her hands on the wall.

Rumpelstiltskin began kneading Belle's back. "A bad one?" He asked quietly.

Belle nodded in response and took Rumpelstiltskin's free hand and squeezed.

"I'm surprised at you." Moe said.

"What are you talking about?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Well, that you haven't used some of that dark magic to take away her pain. Thought you would love her enough to do that." Moe stated.

"Dad, he loves me. That's exactly why he isn't using magic." Belle managed to argue.

"So, he does nothing?" Moe snapped back.

"Don't yell at her." Rumpelstiltskin warned.

"Will you two please stop arguing." Belle shouted, before doubling over.

"What is it, Belle?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"T-There's some sort of pressure, I don't know what it is." Belle said quietly.

Rumpelstiltskin ignored Moe completely and helped Belle back to the room, took off her robe, and got her back into bed.

"I have to get the doctor." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"No, no, no. Don't leave me, please."

Rumpelstiltskin sighed and picked up the call button. A nurse came running in, and slightly lifted Belle's hospital gown.

"Dr. Whale, get in here! " The nurse shouted.

Dr. Whale rushed into the room, and snapped on his gloves. He lifted Belle's gown and smiled.

"Belle, this is it. You're fully dilated." Dr. Whale said.

"What? I was only seven centimeters an hour ago." Belle said.

"Well, it seems someone isn't willing to wait. Mr. Gold, you're going to need to support her so she can push." Dr. Whale explained.

Rumpelstiltskin, the one person who never liked to be ordered around, quickly sat behind Belle and helped her lean against him.

"All right, Belle. It's all up to you. When a contraction comes on, I want you to bare down as hard as you can. Nurse Merman will count to ten, then I want you to take a breath, and then continue bearing down. You understand?" Dr. Whale explained.

Belle nodded, and took a good hold on both of her husband's hands. Dr. Whale put his mask on and focused the lamp.

"Here comes one." Belle cried.

"Okay, Belle. Give me a good push." Dr. Whale urged.

Belle started to push, as the nurse counted to ten. After only a few seconds of rest, she gave another push and then another. Finally, the baby's head was completely out and Dr. Whale looked up at the couple.

"Well, I'm glad to say the kid looks nothing like you, Gold." Dr. Whale joked, earning an eye roll from Rumpelstiltskin and a pained giggle from Belle.

The pushing continued, and Belle was left exhausted and in pain. Rumpelstiltskin could tell just by the look on her face that she was physically drained.

"All right, we have the shoulders now. One more push and we'll be there." Dr. Whale said.

Belle shook her head. "No. I can't. It hurts too much. I can't." She whimpered.

"Belle, this is the home stretch. You're almost at that field goal. One more push." Dr. Whale urged.

"Bloody hell, man! This is a baby that you're delivering, not a football play!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted.

"Rumple, please. Don't make me do this. Please, please." Belle begged.

Rumpelstiltskin reached up and ran his hand through Belle's hair. "Listen to me. I know this hurts, and I wish that I could take away your pain. Believe me, I do. Sweetheart, I promise, it's almost over. Don't think about the pain, think about our child."

Belle bit her lip and started to cry. "Rumple, I.."

"Hey, just look at me. Look right at me. I'm here." Rumpelstiltskin whispered.

Belle looked up at her husband, and sniffled. She nodded slowly and gave one final push, her eyes never leaving Rumpelstiltskin's face. Belle's pain suddenly went away and a shrill cry filled the air.

"Congratluations. You have a daughter." Dr. Whale announced.

Belle leaned back and laughed, she felt Rumpelstiltskin kiss her forehead over and over. His tears mixing with her own.

"Is she all right?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"A little small, but that is one of the strongest cries I've heard from a baby." Dr. Whale laughed.

Dr. Whale laid the crying baby on Belle's chest, where she instantly settled down. Dr. Whale went to a corner of the room to clean himself off, while Rumpelstiltskin and Belle fawned over their new daughter.

"She's so small and so beautiful." Rumpelstiltskin said quietly.

"Dr. Whale was wrong. She does look like you." Belle said.

"Oh, no. This little one is going to be as beautiful as her mother, and just as strong."

Belle sighed and leaned against her husband's chest. "I wouldn't have been this strong if you hadn't been here."

"I highly doubt that. Belle, you don't how proud of you I am. You've given me a daughter, a second chance at being the father that I've always wanted to be. Colette can only make our marriage stronger than it ever was."

When Belle wasn't responding, Rumpelstiltskin looked down at her. She was completely unconscious and somewhat pale.

"Belle? Sweetheart, wake up. What's wrong?" Rumpelstiltskin whispered in her ear.

There was still no response from Belle, and Rumpelstiltskin quickly touched her face which had become clammy and warm.

"Doctor! Doctor, something's wrong!" Rumpelstiltskin shouted.

Dr. Whale rushed over to Belle and looked her over before he saw the problem. Belle was bleeding heavily and wasn't stopping. He quickly took Colette and handed her to the nurse before pushing Rumpelstiltskin towards the door.

"You have to leave now, Mr. Gold. There's a complication." Dr. Whale said quickly.

"A complication? She's not waking up! What's happening to her?" Rumpelstiltskin shouted.

"She's going into shock, now stay outside!" Dr. Whale shouted back.

Rumpelstiltskin was finally pushed out of the room, and could only watch in horror as Dr. Whale and the nurse frantically worked to stop his wife from bleeding to death.


	3. Chapter 3

As Rumpelstiltskin sat impatiently in the waiting room, his legs refused to stop shaking and his fingers tapped rapidly against his knee. It had been almost an hour and Dr. Whale still hadn't given him any word on Belle. The sound of rapid footsteps coming down the hall made him look up; both Henry and Ruby were racing to the waiting room and stopped when they saw Rumpelstiltskin.

"Grandpa!" Henry cried.

Henry ran to Rumpelstiltskin and hugged him tight. Rumpelstiltskin kissed his cheek and ran his hand through his grandson's hair.

"We tried to get here faster, but Ruby wanted me to eat something at the diner before we came. So, has Gran had the baby yet?"

Rumpelstiltskin looked into Henry's eager eyes and began crying. He gave Henry another tight hug.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?" Henry asked.

Rumpelstiltskin released Henry and put a hand on his shoulder. "Y-You have an aunt, Henry. Her name is Colette."

Henry gave a wide smile but it quickly disappeared when he realized that his grandfather was still crying.

"Something's happened." Henry said quietly.

"Your...Your Grandmother lost a lot of blood during the delivery. She went into shock." Rumpelstiltskin managed to explain.

"But she's okay, right?" Henry asked.

"I wish I knew." Rumpelstiltskin whispered.

"Uh, Henry. How about we go find the nursery and meet Colette, okay?" Ruby suggested.

Rumpelstiltskin dried his tears and sniffled a little. "Yes, that would be a great idea. They've placed Colette in the NICU until she gains a little more weight. It's down that hall, take the elevator up a floor, and then turn left."

Ruby nodded and took Henry's hand, leading him out of the waiting room. A few moments later, Dr. Whale emerged from the maternity ward with blood splattering his scrubs. Rumpelstiltskin prayed that none of it was his wife's blood, but the grim look on Dr. Whale's face told him that it was.

"How is she?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

Dr. Whale sighed. "We got the bleeding under control, but because of the shock and the blood loss in general...Mr. Gold, your wife is in a coma. How long it will last, I can't say for certain. We're working on treating her for the shock-"

"I want to see her." Rumpelstiltskin interrupted.

"Mr. Gold, before you see your wife, I have to prepare you. Until Belle wakes up, we have her on her on a breathing machine, she's also hooked up to an IV to give her the medication she needs to treat the shock, we're also in the process of giving her a blood transfusion seeing if that will give her strength to wake up on her own."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded quickly and followed Dr. Whale to the ICU. There she was, just as Dr. Whale had described; with all sorts of tubes and IVs sticking out of her. She looked smaller than she was, and never had Rumpelstiltskin seen her so still. He cautiously approached the bed and took her hand; waiting for her to grab hold of it. Nothing.

"Belle, I love you. I won't leave your side, I promise." Rumpelstiltskin whispered.

Dr. Whale stepped out of the room and Rumpelstiltskin pulled a chair closer to Belle's bed and took her hand again.

"I've seen Colette. She's so beautiful, and so small. So fragile. She can't wait to be with her mother. Sweetheart, I know that you can hear me. Prove to me that I'm right, please. Please Belle, wake up."

Rumpelstiltskin began to cry as he laid his head down over his wife's hand. Not even the tender kisses he placed on her knuckles were enough to get her to respond; and all Rumpelstiltskin could do was wonder how he'd ever be able to go on without her.


	4. Chapter 4

Rumpelstiltskin left Belle briefly, but only to go the library and take some books that he thought she would like and then went to see Colette who was still in the NICU. He looked down at his tiny daughter, and their eyes met. Carefully, he reached out his hand and allowed Colette to grab his finger.

"Your mother will visit you soon, my love, but she won't be very happy when she wakes up and she sees you on your feeding tube, so you just focus on getting better so that when she comes to, we can take you home." Rumpelstiltskin said gently.

"Is she doing ok?"

Rumpelstiltskin turned and saw Henry who looked extremely worried.

"Yeah, she is. Come here."

Henry went to stand beside his grandfather and looked down at Colette, smiling.

"She looks like my Dad." Henry said.

"That's the greatest compliment she'll ever be given." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"How much longer will she be in here?" Henry asked.

"Oh, not much longer, I believe. Perhaps a couple of days."

"I can't wait for Gran to see her again."

Rumpelstiltskin gave a half-smile. "Neither can I."

Rumpelstiltskin returned to Belle's room, hoping to see some sort of change. His hopes were dashed when she saw she was still in her coma.

"I've just seen Colette. Henry told me that she looks like Bae." Rumpelstiltskin sat down and pulled a small book out of his coat pocket. "I thought that you might like to hear some poetry today. There's a specific poem that I want to read you."

Rumpelstiltskin flipped through the book before settling on a page and reading it out loud:

_O my luve's like a red, red rose._

_That's newly sprung in June;_

_O my luve's like a melodie_

_That's sweetly play'd in tune._

_As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,_

_So deep in luve am I;_

_And I will love thee still, my Dear,_

_Till a'the seas gang dry._

_Till a' the seas gang dry, my Dear,_

_And the rocks melt wi' the sun:_

_I will luve thee still, my Dear,_

_While the sands o'life shall run._

_And fare thee weel my only Luve!_

_And fare thee weel a while!_

_And I will come again, my Luve,_

_Tho' it were ten thousand mile!_

"I know how much you love Burns. I can't say that I do him justice, though. You're probably much better at reading poetry than-"

Rumpelstiltskin felt something brush against his hand; he looked up quickly to find Belle's hand brushing the back of his.

"Belle." Rumpelstiltskin took Belle's hand. "Sweetheart, do you hear me?"

Rumpelstiltskin began to cry as he felt Belle give his hand a gentle squeeze. "You're still there. You're going to come back to me."


	5. Chapter 5

Rumpelstiltskin left Belle and went to find Dr. Whale. When they both returned, Dr. Whale immediately checked her pulse and the monitors; he then examined her eyes.

"Her pupils are responding. She's trying to close her eyes again, she's reacting to light sensitivity." Dr. Whale briefly explained.

"So, she's trying to wake up?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Yes, she is, but she needs a little help. Talk to her, encourage her."

Rumpelstiltskin took Belle's hand and swallowed. "Belle? Belle, wake up. You have a daughter who is eager to see you. Wake up, sweetheart."

Suddenly, Belle's eyes began to open. Once she was completely awake, she seemed confused and frightened, and started to pull at her breathing tube. Rumpelstiltskin gently took her hands and smoothed her hair back.

"Leave it be, Belle. Dr. Whale will take it out soon. You have nothing to be scared of, I'm right here." Rumpelstiltskin said gently.

Dr. Whale slowly removed Belle's breathing tube. She started coughing violently, and was given a cup of water by Rumpelstiltskin. Once she had settled down, she turned to face her husband.

"Rumple? What happened?" Belle asked, her voice still hoarse.

"You lost alot of blood after you delivered Colette, and went into shock. You've been in a coma for a few days." Rumpelstiltskin explained.

"Where's Colette? Is she okay?"

"She's in the NICU, but only because she needs to put on some weight before we can take her home."

"Well, is she gaining?"

"Only a pound. She was refusing to eat, so they've put her on a feeding tube."

"Help me out of bed, Rumple. I need to see her." Belle said, throwing the sheets off of her.

"Belle, you've just woke up from a coma. You're still weak." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Rumple, please. I need to see her." Belle said quietly.

Rumpelstiltskin finally nodded. "Dr. Whale, can you please find a wheelchair?"

"Gold, you're not seriously thinking of taking her to the NICU?"

Rumpelstiltskin looked up at Dr. Whale. "She's been in this bed long enough. Find that chair, please."

Dr. Whale sighed and stepped into the hall. He returned a few seconds later with a wheelchair.

"All right, put your arms around my neck." Rumpelstiltskin said.

Belle obeyed and put her arms around her husband's neck. He easily lifted her out of bed and put her in the chair.

"I'm against this." Dr. Whale said, folding his arms.

"Is Colette your patient, Doctor?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Of course she is." Dr. Whale said.

"Then believe me. Her mother is the best medicine for her."

Dr. Whale stepped out of the way and allowed Rumpelstiltskin to wheel Belle out of the room. He took her down to the NICU where a nurse was just finishing bathing Colette with a wet washcloth.

"Mrs. Gold, you're awake. I'm so glad. Colette is such a sweet little girl." The nurse said.

Belle touched Colette's face and then traced her fingers against the feeding tube. She gave the nurse a frightened look.

"No need to be alarmed, dear. Every parent thinks a tube in their child means something bad. Believe me, this was in her best interest. She needs nutrition."

"Let me feed her." Belle murmured.

"What did you say, Mrs. Gold?"

Belle looked up at the nurse. "Let me feed her. Please. She might just want to nurse."

"Mrs. Gold, nursing is not an easy task. It takes a lot of strength, something that you don't have a lot of right now."

"I don't care. My baby needs me." Belle insisted.

The nurse eventually gave in and handed Colette over to Belle, being sure to mind the feeding tube. Belle lowered half of her gown and held Colette to her breast. Rumpelstiltskin and Belle gave a collective sigh when Colette began to suck on Belle's nipple. Rumpelstiltskin knelt next to Belle, kissing her bare shoulder.

"She's nursing, Belle. You've done it." Rumpelstiltskin whispered.

Belle smiled. "Well, she's doing most of the work, you know."

Rumpelstiltskin watched with affection as mother and child bonded. The two most important girls in his life, finally together; and he was going to love them and protect them, for as long as he was on this Earth.

A few days later, Colette had gained a bit of weight and Belle had her strength back. So, the two were discharged from the hospital. When the new parents and Colette arrived back at he mansion, they were greeted by Henry who ran up to his grandparents and hugged them.

"My Mom said I could come. Only for an hour though." Henry said.

"We're glad you came." Belle said.

"Can I carry her inside?" Henry asked.

Rumpelstiltskin and Belle shared a reluctant look, and Henry rolled his eyes.

"Come on. I've held Neal before." Henry said.

The couple smiled and Belle carefully handed Henry his new aunt. Although both parents hovered over him until they stepped inside. Henry sat on the couch and Rumpelstiltskin joined him, taking Colette from his arms.

"Oh wait, I'll be right back!" Belle said, running off into the kitchen.

"Where is she going?" Henry asked, Rumpelstiltskin only shrugged in response.

Belle returned a few seconds later with a camera and positioned herself so that everyone was in the shot.

"Belle, I detest photos. You know that." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"You don't seem to mind pictures of me." Belle argued.

"Let me rephrase. I detest photos of _myself_." Rumpelstiltskin corrected.

"Come on now, just a quick snap." Belle said.

"Very well. As long as you're in the photo with us." Rumpelstiltskin said.

"Oh, no. We have three generations of the same family. I want this to be a special picture."

Rumpelstiltskin frowned. "You're part of this family too."

"I know I am, but Rumple, please...Indulge me."

Rumpelstiltskin smirked. Leave it to Belle to use his own words against him. With a defeated sigh, Rumpelstiltskin sat up straighter.

"That's it. Move a little closer together."

Henry and Rumpelstiltskin moved closer together and Belle took the picture. She observed the photo on the viewer; feeling like the happiest person in the world, because she had a family that would never leave her. Rumpelstiltskin, Colette, and Henry were her happiness.

"Belle, how did it turn out?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

Belle looked up and smile. "It turned out perfect."


	6. Chapter 6

_**6 years later...**_

Colette was a rambunctious child; full of energy and a tomboy at that. Still, she would have moments of femininity shine through; she loved to wear dresses at parties, play the piano and in the garden, and also had a knack for reading. It was one day that Rumpelstiltskin stepped outside and saw Colette sitting next to a pot full of soil; giving it a hard stare.

"What's this then?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

"Papa, how come my lilies aren't growing? " Colette asked.

Rumpelstiltskin managed to kneel beside his daughter. "Oh, they've only been in the ground for a few weeks. Give it time. Come next month, this pot will be full of lilies."

Colette nodded with a sigh and then went back to staring at the pot. Belle stepped out of the mansion and onto the patio.

"Rumple, could you come inside for a minute?" Belle called. '

"Stay right here, love." Rumpelstiltskin kissed Colette on the top of the head and then stepped into the mansion with Belle.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Rumpelstiltskin asked.

Belle gave a soft smile. "Could you sit down for a moment?"

Rumpelstiltskin nodded and followed Belle into the living area; not even bothering to notice the little pregnancy test box that had been left on the counter.


End file.
